Underfloor wiring conduit system



y 1936iv E. B. S'ARGENT 2,041,965

UNDERFLOOR WIRING CO NDUIT SYSTEM Filed June 24. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I a GIN VE ITOR.

A4; ATTORNEYS.

May 26, 1936. v a. a. SARGENT 2,041,955

UNDERFLOOR W IRING CONDUIT SYSTEM Filed June 24, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO M A TTORNEYS.

Patented May 26, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UNDERFLOOR WIRING CONDUIT SYSTEM Application June 24, 1932, Serial No. 619,089

2 Claims. (01. 247-3) This invention has for one of its objects to provide a wiring system for buildings having a multicellular fioor in which selected hollow beams or cells of the floor may be utilized for supplying a plurality of different types of electric service and maintaining said types separated from one another so as to reduce to a minimum the danger arising from the proximity of wires carrying currents of difierent tension.

The invention has for another object to provide novel means which when combined with the hollow beams of a sheet metal base floor form an underfloor wiring conduit system for the building in which the selected cells of the base floor 15 are accessiblefrom above the floor. To this end, the base floor has extended transversely thereof above the same, a crossover duct provided with upwardly extended hollow members which communicate with underlying cells of the floor, and

20 are provided with removable covers for enabling access to be had to the selected cells through said members from above the base floor and also above the finish floor. The accessible members may and preferably will be connected together 25 by an intermediate member which is detachably secured to the accessible members to enable the cross-over duct to be assembled on the job and adjusted to meet any changes in the wiring system which'may be desired.

30 These and other featuresof the invention will he pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a section of a hollow beam base floor having a fitting emas bodying one form of my invention attached there to iormaking the interior ofthe beams accessible.

Flgi 2 is a view in vertical section taken on line II-II of Figure 1. 40 Fig. 3 is a view in-perspective of a section'oi a hollow beam metallic base fioor having a fitting embodying another'type of my invention applied thereto and mg. 4 is a view in section talre'n on line IV-IV of Figure 3.

At the present time it is becoming more and more common in the erection of buildings to replace the tile or other types of sub-floors now in general use, on which the concrete or finish fiooring is superimposed, with a pre-formed metallic base floor. These metallic base floors are generally formed in sections from metal sheets, and each section comprises a lower corrugated and an upper sheet which, when placed together,

form a series of closely spaced, parallel hollow beams or cells on which the finish flooring is laid.

In erecting the building, these sheet metal sections are supported directly on the steelwork thereof and are soarranged that the beams in one 5 section open into the beams of the adjoining longitudinal sections and form a series of parallel passageways leading from one part of the building to another.

In general, the present invention contemplates the provision of a hollow fitting for making accessible from above the base fioor the interior of these hollow beams so that they may be used at some future time as conduits for electric or other conductors. This fitting together with the beams to which it is applied, form an underfloor wiring system which is concealed within the finish floor supported on the beams and permit electrical service outlets to be established at any desired point in the fioor surface without disturbing any appreciable amount of the finsh floor.

My improved fitting, which may take any number of forms and may be of any desired size and shape, is installed adjacent to the selected hollow beam or beams and has an opening or openings therein for establishing communication bebetween the fitting and the interior of the beam or beams. One side of the fitting is removable and the fitting is so attached to the beam or beams that this removable side is readily ac- 3o cessible through either the finish fioor after the latter has been laid or from above the base floor before the finish floor is laid.

So that access may be had to the interior of the fitting and thence into the beam or beams of the base floor without disturbing the finish floor when the fitting is disposed above the beams, the height of the fitting may be such that the side walls thereof terminate fiush with the finish floor 'carried on the beams and the removable cover of 40 the fitting forms a part of the floor.

A separate fitting may be applied to each beam selected for use as a conduit or the fitting may be in the form of a rectangular box or duct which extends transversely of the beams. 5

When a separate fitting is applied to each beam selected-as aconduit, the fittings carrying one type of service are connected together by conduit pipes through which electrical conductors are introduced into the fitting and then into the beam. If more than one type of electrical service is desired in the building, a separate set of fittings must then be provided for each type of service and the fittings for each type of service should be positioned on beams separated by enough beams to accommodate the required types of service. For example, if three different types of electrical service are desired the fittings carrying one type of service would be attached to every third beam while the fittings carrying the second and third types of service would be positioned on the intervening beams.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in Figs. 1 and 2, I have illustrated a section of a metallic base floor I0 fabricated from metal sheets shaped to form a series of collaterally arranged hollow beams or cells II. These sheet metal sections which are supported on girders I2 of the steelwork of the building are so arranged that the interiors of the hollow beams II of longitudinally adjoining sections, are in alignment, thereby providing a series of continuous hollow beams or conduits extending across the building from one part to the other through which electrical conductors may be laid to provide electrical services at different portions of the floor. After the sheet metal sections comprising the base fiooring have been laid and before the finish fioor has been superimposed thereon, fittings I3 are secured to predetermined hollow beams II for facilitating the introduction of electrical conductors thereinto. These fittings I3 may be spaced apart so that access may be had into selected spaced beams II and the fittings adapted to supply the same type of electrical service are connected together by a conduit pipe I4 through which the conductors carrying the electric service are led from a suitable source of supply (not shown).

When more than one type of electrical service is to be supplied in the fioor, other fittings of like character are provided which extend into other spaced selected beams for carrying the desired type of service.

As shown in the drawings, the fitting I3 comprises a hollow member of any sectional shape and provided with an opening in its top which is normally closed by a removable cover I5. The hollow member is provided with an opening I6 in the bottom thereof which is designed to register with a pre-formed opening in the top of a selected fioor beam II upon which the member is mounted to provide communication between the fitting and the interior of the beam.

The edge of the opening I6 is turned down to form a lip II of sufficient size to extend into the pre-formed opening in the top of the floor beam and form a bushing for protecting the electrical conductors which are introduced into the interior of the beam II. The lip His of such a size that it fits snugly in the opening formed in the top of the beam I I.

The fitting I3 which may be welded to the top tallic ring I8 is secured to the top of the member and has an inwardly extending flange I9 on which the cover I5 is supported to form a smooth and tightly fitting closure for the top of the fitting. By removing the cover I5, access is afforded to the interior of the fioor beam and to the conductors led through the conduits I4, thereby enabling desired electrical connection to be made between feed lines inserted in the hollow beam and the electrical wiring extending through the conduits I4.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have illustrated a modification of my fitting. As shown, the fitting comprises a duct 2I which extends transversely of the beams I I and carries the electrical conductors from a suitable source of supp y (not shown).

The ducts 2| which are adapted to be placed across the fioor beams before the concrete or finish flooring material is poured thereon have a series of spaced openings 22 in the upper surface thereof and .a series of spaced openings 23 in the lower surface thereof directly opposite the openings 22 which register with pro-formed. openings in the tops of spaced floor beams II. The openings 23 in one of the ducts 2| are 'so spaced that they communicate with the interior of spaced floor beams and not with adjacent beams, so that the intervening beams may be used to carry different types of electric service. The beams carrying one type of service being connected together with one duct while the beams being accessible to another type of electric service are connected by another duct similar in all respects to the duct 2 I. The edges of the openings 23 in each of the ducts 2| are turned downwardly, to form lips 24 for fitting snugly within the openings in the top of the beam II and form a bushing thereon which will protect the conductors being led into the interior of the beams, while the edges of the openings 22 are turned upwardly to form an upstanding lip 25. Each of the openings 22 in each of the ducts 2| is closed by a removable cover plate 26 which is supported on an inwardly extending flange 21 of a ring 28 mounted on the lip 25.

From this construction it is readily apparent that, when electrical service is desired in any portion of the fioor, feed lines may be readily led through the proper fioor beam by removing the cover plate 26 and making a connection between the conductors carried in the duct 2| and the feed lines.

From the foregoing description, it is readily apparent that I have designed a duct extended transversely of the multicellular metal base floor above the same and provided with fittings which are spaced apart and communicate directly with selected cells of said base floor and have hollow members extended upwardly above the duct and provided with removable covers so as to render the selected cell of the base floor accessible from above the base floor, while the portions of the crossover duct between the accessible fittings communicate with the said fittings to complete the duct. It will further be observed that the portions of the crossover duct between the accessible fittings may be detachably secured to the said fittings after the manner represented in Fig. 1, so that the accessible fittings may be changed on the job to meet any change which it may be desired to make in the original plan or wiring system. 1

What I claim is:-

1. The combination with a multicellular floor provided with closely'spaced hollow metal beams forming cells and covering the space between supporting members for said floor, of a crossover duct extended transversely of said multicellular fioor and provided with fixtures spaced apart and forming part of said duct and capable of being arranged in said duct to have each fixture enable every cell of said floor between said supporting members to be utilized as a wirim; con-. duit.

2. The combination with'a multioellular floor provided with closely spaced hollow metal beams 5 forming cells and covering the space between supporting members for said floor. of a crossover duct extended transversely of said multicellular floor and having openings capable of being arranged in said duct so as to communicate directly with selected cells 01 said multicellular floor, and enable every cell of the said floor between said supporting members to be utilized as .a wiring conduit.

EDWARD B. SARGENT. 

